The Nature of International Business

We all live and flourish within the ecosystem that we call Earth. It is our home for the time being and I don’t envision this changing anytime soon. Regardless of your thoughts on preserving the environment, we all play a critical role in maintaining it for future generations.

This responsibility is especially applicable to businesses that may potentially jeopardize the beauty of the world surrounding us all. This can be dependent upon the way in which a business conducts operations on an international stage.

It is relatively obvious that certain international business pursuits are more likely to influence environmental conditions. These types of businesses need to be especially concerned about the fashion in which they conduct business. They must assure citizens that the environment will not be tarnished for decades to come. I have no qualms about them facilitating business in an international setting, but they need to make sure that the environment doesn’t become degraded as a result of their organizational operations.

In fact, they should strive to improve environmental conditions through the capital that they acquire. Obviously they shouldn’t feel obligated, although if the business becomes economically successful throughout the duration of their venture, I see no reason why they couldn’t allocate some of their financial security towards enhancing the communities they operate in. In my mind, it is especially evident and critical in countries and communities that are less fortunate. I would also say that this is generally where businesses envision maximum potential for sustained growth and interaction.

Mining for example directly affects the soil and could even potentially devastate ground water if stringent regulations aren’t in place. If water happens to become polluted, it can be difficult to decipher who caused the problem and could even put individuals at risk without their knowledge. This behavior shouldn’t be condoned and needs to be brought to light immediately. Even though the company might not be directly from the country in which they are facilitating production, they need to be held accountable by universal standards.

They should also be pursued legally on an international level, so that companies are well aware that these unjustified activities will not be tolerated. It will even help establish a precedence of responsibility, which will hopefully deter prospective business ventures from operating within the same means. It may be more challenging to determine, but that doesn’t provide an excuse for not investigating on an international level.

Internationally operated companies need to be well-aware that they don’t live above the law. They must strive to maintain high living standards for the areas that they facilitate operations in. Communities don’t have the ability to choose whenever or not a company invades their parameters. This makes it even more pertinent to maintain the environment for those individuals that have always lived there. This seems logical, but we shouldn’t assume that all businesses will accomplish operations in an ethical and credible manner.

Another business venture that could prospectively put the environment in a state of vulnerability is off shore drilling. We all witnessed the lingering implications of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster, which may take years for the ecosystem system and the gulf economy to fully recover. As a result, it is critical to examine the obligations that businesses have in regards to the environment before disasters inevitably occur. Without setting standards on an international basis, companies won’t have a frame of reference and may feel as though they have the ability to conduct business in whatever manner they see fit.

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